The function of research is to perfect the tools of education and to manufacture new ones. Research opens up perspectives and informs teachers. The whole of the education system and all its components should be investigated if research is to be comprehensive and successful. Highly qualified teams of researchers are essential, bringing a variety of…

Evaluation takes place in a social context that influences research design, selection of variables, the written report, and the timing of its release. There are also consequences for program implementors and evaluators. Historical accounts of the school systems in Gary, Indiana and New York, New York illustrate these influences. (Author/CTM)

This critique of H. Lee Swanson's "Toward a Metatheory of Learning Disabilities" comments on Swanson's concept of learning disabilities, cognitive science, and information processing theory. A different research and theory-building agenda is proposed, focusing on society's definition of learning disabilities and instructional issues and…

Examines some of the factors that determine whether and how psychological research will affect public policies regarding children. Stresses the importance of the political climate in influencing research utilization and says that researchers must know when to introduce their findings into the policy making process. (Author/MJL)

Argues research on the efficacy of special education is poor. Describes key flaws including (1) lack of proper control groups; (2) studies that utilize matching of similarly disabled students rather than random selection; (3) measurements of effectiveness; and (4) studies that have become outdated as the functional definitions of labels have…

Rather than a public good that is freely shared, Canadian university research is increasingly privatized and commercialized and thus rendered accessible only to those who can pay for it. The effects include erosion of collegiality, institutional democracy, curiosity-driven basic research, objectivity, and consideration of disadvantaged groups. All…

Explores individualism and conservatism in psychology, particularly in the psychology of women. Discusses causes and consequences of conservativism in the psychology of women. Questions rationale for studying gender differences instead of the society creating these differences. Presents an alternative construction to feminist research aimed at…

Professional practice is built on sound knowledge specific to each discipline. This knowledge is developed and validated through a process of scientific investigation or research. However, lack of knowledge about the research process acts as a barrier to applying evidence-based practice within the school setting. Understanding the components that…

School leaders are faced with the daunting task of anticipating the future and making conscious adaptations to their practices, in order to keep up and to be responsive to the environment. To succeed in a rapidly changing and increasingly complex world, it is vital that schools grow, develop, adapt and take charge of change so that they can…

A common problem in teaching undergraduate courses in the experimental analysis of behavior (EAB) is that the contemporary research literature is largely not comprehensible to most undergraduates. A suggested solution is the use of research articles from the early days of EAB. These are not only easy to understand but provide additional…

Although feminist perspectives about research have not been presented in a unified paradigm, feminist theory has helped to expose and demystify the empirical assumption of objectivity as the only way to truth in research. The feminist perspective in research represents alternate, non-oppressive formulations of what constitutes meaningful and valid…

The Barnum Effect was generated to teach students about the ethics of deception in research and the feelings of subjects who are deceived. The Barnum Effect occurs when individuals are duped into believing invalid results of psychological tests. People are most accepting when given favorable feedback about themselves. They interpret evaluations as…

The purpose of this paper is to offer an alternative explanation of why the Office of Educational Research and Improvement, and educational research in general, has such a low status and its connection to education reform is so remote. Emphasis placed on the differences that divide reformers, researchers, and educators instead of similarities that…

The changing role of research in curriculum development since the late 1950's is reviewed. Factors are discussed that have affected the prevailing attitudes toward research and its value, including its role in fields other than education and the mixed success with which various research and development models have met in education. Particular…

Policy considerations that affect immigrant ethnic minorities in the Netherlands are addressed by the articles in this volume. The articles cover the following topics: (1) the recent history of migration and general outline of government policy toward immigrant groups; (2) housing and the concentration or dispersal of ethnic group populations; (3)…